In our Tears
A/N: Seindo, or Sehkmet (beloved Sehkie), is Norvik's best friend; how will he handle the knowledge of him being a killer? Adalynn (Anjel), the future Warlord of Innocence, may get caught in the crossfire. Will Selhi (Sage) be needed to heal? Find out in the next episode of: "In our Tears" *snickers*
Seindo looked up from the talisman he was studying when he heard the footsteps stop. Mouth agape, he stared in shock at the man standing in front of him. His friend was wearing a bewildered expression and had clasped in his right hand a long dagger that looked like it had been washed in blood. The sight left Seindo speechless.
"I didn't mean to, Seindo," a lost little boy's voice came out of the usually baretone man. His eyes were wide and held an appeal in them as he seemed to beg for acceptance and forgiveness.
"W-what happened?" Seindo asked, staring at Norvik cautiously. He wasn't sure as of what was going on, but someone had better inform him fast.
"It was an accident," Norvik continued with his odd voice. "Honestly...It was!"
"I'm sure it was," Seindo stayed seated, deciding whether he should call for help or not. Something was terribly wrong, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what.
"He-he feel on my knife, Seindo! You have to help me hide the body!" Norvik didn't sound scared, just desperate. And there was a body. A dead body. A corpse! And his best friend wanted him to help hide it...
The light pitter patter of feet made Norvik turn and face the doorway, dagger ready. A petite blonde stood at the door and blinked. "Norvik?" she asked softly.
"No, Adalynn," he shook his head adamantly. "I didn't mean to - it was an accident!" his strange voice babbled to her.
The pregnant girl glanced over at Seindo. "Of course it was, Norvik," she murmurred in soothing undertones. Seeing the blood on him didn't seem to phaze her, but she was sympathetic to the pain she felt in his eyes.
Seindo ran a hand through his sloppy green hair and stood up. "Norvik, why don't I take you to go clean up?" He needed to get his friend away from Adalynn before something happened.
The boy-man backed away from him, eyes wide and unseeing. "No! You're not going to help me! You want to exile me! You hate me!"
"Of course we're going to help you, and we don't hate you. Norvik, please let us help you," Adalynn tried to calm him.
His eyes darted back and forth between them. "I NEED TO HIDE THE BODY!!" he screamed at them. Shaking, he tried to hold the dagger steady in his hand.
"We'll help you," Seindo soothed, edging towards him. Just a little closer. A little more... He was almost in reach of Norvik now.
"No!" Norvik looked wildly about for escape, but Adalynn was blocking the only exit. "Don't touch me!" he shouted in Seindo's face before turning around and punching the obstacle blocking his route to freedom.
Adalynn fell to the ground and screamed as Norvik ran over her prone and bleeding body. "Norvik!" she groaned, holding her stomach. Each breath she took hurt and she felt tightenings in her belly. "No..." she moaned. "My baby!"
Seindo wanted to race after the man whom he used to call friend, but with Adalynn bleeding and hurt, he couldn't do more than shout for help. "Somebody!! Please!! Help!! Adalynn's...!" he didn't know how to say what was wrong; he wasn't sure what he should say. "Someone help!"
A young man with blond hair perfectly in place ran into the room. "Adalynn?!" His brow furrowed as he tried to figure out just what had happened. "Is she going into labor early?" As the resident healer, he knew when she was due, and he knew this wasn't the date. His amethyst eyes caught the blood that was pooling out of her and he gasped. "She's miscarrying!" He knelt down immediately and sent Seindo for help. "Addy... Look at me!" he ordered her.
She seemed to be staring off into nothing and he placed his hands on her stomach to push the baby out. No sound escaped her mouth except for the air pushed out of her lungs. Her lips were lightly open and her face was pale. Looking down at his hands, he noticed the blood soaking them. This wasn't just a miscarriage. "Damn it!" he swore under his breath. Quickly, he checked for a pulse. Nothing. He listened for breathing. Nada. Glancing into her eyes, he noticed they had that glossy blankness that gave from death. Her face was still twisted up in shock and pain and her body still continued to bleed, the dead baby and afterbirth staining the floor. "What's going on here?" he asked softly.
Bending down, he picked up her still form, clasping it to him, and carried her towards Kanden's chambers. The room was in complete havoc, everyone shouting and screaming to be heard. "I want answers!" he shouted. A chorus of agreement overwhelmed the silence and Kanden held up his hand.
A deathly quiet enveloped the once noisy room. "Norvik is gone." The clammer started up again and Kanden once more raised his hand for silence. "He is no longer part of us, as we do not condone killing of any creature, regardless of whom they fight for. The death of Kaalid may not be a tragedy of all, but the loss and 'death' of Norvik, should be. He is now dead in our eyes," he rendered the judgement sadly.
"But he didn't kill one of ours!" a nameless voice called out.
"And I commend you on your loyalty, however, death is death. And he is foresworn. Is there any man or woman out there who would disagree with the fact that the vow had been made?" There were quiet whisperings and shaking of heads. "No death shall be on our heads, we are a peaceful people."
Selhi pushed his way through the crowd. "I need answers," he said softly. "I need to know why he was not restrained or exiled after the first death. Why he was let loose to hurt and kill again. I need to know," he said softly, and precisely. "Why Adalynn had to die." And with those words, he laid her body down, gently, as if to do otherwise would break her fragile corpse.
"Adalynn? She's dead?" the people murmurred amongst themselves.
Kanden knelt beside the body. "Does Kiiston know?"
"He does now," a solemn voice rang out clearly as a man with a purposeful stride reached them. His soft blue hair fell about his face and his grey eyes held tears in check. "My poor Adalynn," he whispered, kneeling beside her. He glanced up to stare into his leader's eyes. "Leave me be with her," he said softly. "Please."
They filed out of the room, Kanden the last to leave. Kiiston looked down at his love and stroked her cheek. "Til death to us part, we vowed, but I didn't think our separation would be this soon. I'll find you again in the next life, and I'll cherish our time together more. I'm sorry I wasn't there to hold your hand with our first born child; I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me." Leaning down, he brushed a feathery kiss against her dry parted lips. "Goodbye, Adalynn." His tears fell unheeded onto her face. "If you only knew how much I love you..."